| If you are on a Buddhist tour to India, you | | | | emperor Ashoka to enshrine the relics of the |
| would most probably like to have information | | | | Buddha. |
| on all the Buddhist sites of the country, be | | | | |
| it cities or individual temple monastery or | | | | Kushinagar, the third sacred site where the |
| even museums. You would also like to plan out | | | | Buddha is believed to have achieved |
| a best possible travel plan for yourself | | | | mahaparinirvana, is also located in Uttar |
| depending upon your budget and time. A lesser | | | | Pradesh. |
| time and budget would require you to plan out | | | | |
| more meticulously so that each and every | | | | The Mahaparinirvana temple and the Nirvana |
| moment of your trip is as fruitful as you | | | | stupa are the highlights here. Varanasi can |
| would like it to be while a long duration of | | | | serve as the nearest airport to reach both |
| visit would give you an opportunity to | | | | Sarnath and Kushinagar. While Sarnath is |
| explore even the relatively unknown Buddhist | | | | pretty close to Varanasi, Kushinagar is more |
| sites. But, long or short, whatever be your | | | | than 250 km away. If you are travelling by |
| time period, for planning out your trip, you | | | | train, Gorakhpur, approximately 53 km away, |
| would require information on the Buddhist | | | | is the closest one to reach Kushinagar. While |
| sites of the country in detail - where are | | | | in Uttar Pradesh, you can also explore other |
| they located and how to visit them? | | | | Buddhist sites like Sravasti, Kaushambi and |
| | | | Sankisa. |
| Let's give you information on some of these | | | | |
| sites which you can visit on your trip. For | | | | States of Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh |
| anyone desirous of exploring Buddhism in | | | | with their number of monasteries are also |
| India, it is inevitable to leave out the most | | | | worth visiting for Buddhist tourists. It is |
| important sacred sites - Bodhgaya, Sarnath | | | | not as if the entire state is influenced by |
| and Kushinagar. Starting off with Bodhgaya, | | | | Buddhism, but a certain area definitely is. |
| it is the place of enlightenment or the place | | | | In Jammu Kashmir, the Ladakh region and in |
| where the prince Siddharth became 'aware' and | | | | Himachal Pradesh, the Lahaul Spiti region are |
| came to be known as the Buddha. The Mahabodhi | | | | where you can see the influence of Buddhism |
| complex here, with the Mahabodhi temple and | | | | most. Himachal Pradesh is also home to the |
| bodhi tree under which Siddhartha attained | | | | exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai |
| enlightenment, is a world heritage site and | | | | Lama and his followers. Post Chinese invasion |
| immensely revered by Buddhists all over the | | | | of Tibet way back in 1950s, the Dalai Lama |
| world. A number of monasteries have been | | | | and his followers made Mc Leodganj in |
| established by monks and government of | | | | Himachal their home. You can get a glimpse of |
| different countries in this small town of | | | | Tibetan Buddhism by paying a visit to Mc |
| Bodhgaya. Amongst them are the Chinese temple | | | | Leodganj. The famous monasteries of the state |
| and monastery, the Thai monastery and | | | | include the Tabo, Kye, Dhakar and Shashur. As |
| Buddhist monastery of Bhutanese. | | | | for the famous monasteries in Jammu Kashmir |
| | | | are concerned, they include Hemis, Spituk, |
| Bodhgaya is located in the state of Bihar | | | | Lamayuru, Thiksey and Alchi. |
| which is also home to a number of other | | | | |
| Buddhist sites. You can either reach Gaya | | | | Manali can be used to reached both Lahaul |
| (close to Bodhgaya) or Patna and explore the | | | | Spiti region in Himachal Pradesh and |
| rest of the destination from thereon. Rajgir, | | | | Leh-Ladakh in Jammu Kashmir. Which time of |
| Nalanda, Vaishali are few of the other sites | | | | the year you are visiting is also important |
| which you can pay a visit to while visiting | | | | since the route from Manali is only open |
| Bodhgaya. | | | | between June to November depending upon |
| | | | climatic conditions. Before making the trip, |
| Uttar Pradesh is the state where the second | | | | it is advisable to find out the latest |
| sacred site, Sarnath, is located. After | | | | situation of the route. Leh has an aiport |
| attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya, Lord | | | | which is connected to Delhi by daily flights. |
| Buddha moved to Sarnath and gave his first | | | | |
| preaching to five ascetic friends who had | | | | Like the ones mentioned above, there are a |
| earlier accompanied him in his wanderings. | | | | number of other sites that can be visited in |
| The Dhamekh stupa, the Dharamrajika stupa, | | | | India. You just need to make a bit of |
| the Ashokan Pillar are few of the attractions | | | | research and the number of Buddhist sites you |
| for you here. The first of these marks the | | | | will come across will be completely to your |
| spot where Lord Buddha gave out his sermon | | | | satisfaction. |
| while the second one was erected by Indian | | | | |